2024 NRL: Round 21 Recap and Key Stats

Check out what happened in round 21 of the National Rugby League competition.

Final Scores

WARRIORS 28 d TIGERS 16
STORM 32 d EELS 14
BULLDOGS 41 d BRONCOS 16
COWBOYS 30 d SHARKS 22
ROOSTERS 34 d SEA EAGLES 30
PANTHERS 46 d DRAGONS 10
TITANS 21 d DOLPHINS 14
RAIDERS 32 d RABBITOHS 12

Current Ladder

Melbourne Storm (Position: 1) 30 pts (159), Penrith Panthers (Position: 2) 26 pts (154), Sydney Roosters (Position: 3) 24 pts (213), Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Position: 4) 22 pts (117), North Queensland Cowboys (Position: 5) 22 pts (11), Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (Position: 6) 21 pts (93), Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Position: 7) 20 pts (88), The Dolphins (Position: 8) 18 pts (39), Canberra Raiders (Position: 9) 18 pts (-71), St George-Illawarra Dragons (Position: 10) 18 pts (-92), New Zealand Warriors (Position: 11) 17 pts (-22), Brisbane Broncos (Position: 12) 16 pts (0), Newcastle Knights (Position: 13) 16 pts (-97), Gold Coast Titans (Position: 14) 14 pts (-82), South Sydney Rabbitohs (Position: 15) 14 pts (-110), Parramatta Eels (Position: 16) 8 pts (-171), Wests Tigers (Position: 17) 8 pts (-229)

Review

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Melbourne are still in first place at the end of round 21, with Penrith, the Sydney Roosters, and Cronulla-Sutherland making up the top four.

The Storm beat Parramatta at CommBank Stadium. Fighting to avoid the wooden spoon, Parramatta led 8-6 after 20 minutes before a Harry Grant try and two Nick Meaney goals (including a penalty goal after Jake Tago was sin binned) gave Melbourne a 14-8 half-time lead. Three more second half tries to Melbourne put the game away.

The Panthers had a huge win over St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium. Nathan Cleary showed he’s preparing for September with a hat-trick and seven goals from eight attempts (26 points), while Casey McLean scored his first NRL try.

The Sydney Roosters moved to third after a high-scoring win over Manly Warringah at Allianz Stadium. The Roosters led 34-18 after Michael Jennings scored in the 66th minute and it looked like job done. But two intercept tries (to Clayton Faulalo and Daly Cherry-Evans) got Manly within four points with four minutes left. Faulolo was 18th Man but was subbed in under the concussion replacement rule (Reuben Garrick and Jason Saab both failed their HIAs). Tommy Talau also scored an intercept try early in the second half.

Canterbury-Bankstown and North Queensland both kept in touch with the top four after important wins in Queensland.

The Bulldogs took advantage of a rare Broncos Saturday afternoon game at Suncorp Stadium, with Connor Tracey scoring a hat-trick. While the Bulldogs led 16-0 early, Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs got Brisbane back in touch by half-time. It was all Canterbury after the break, with Matt Burton (who kicked six goals from seven attempts) rubbing salt into Brisbane’s fading finals hopes with a last-minute field goal.

There was another hat-trick at Queensland Country Bank Stadium – this time to Kyle Feldt as the Cowboys beat Cronulla-Sutherland. Feldt’s second and third tries sealed the game after Braydon Trindall cut the Cowboys’ lead to 18-16 with 24 minutes left.

The Gold Coast had an upset win over The Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, with The Dolphins now clinging to a top eight spot. The Dolphins looked to be cruising at 14-0 (tries to Tevita Pangai Junior and Jesse Bromwich). But the game turned late in the first half: Josh Kerr was sin binned and the Titans took advantage with a try to Brian Kelly. It was all Titans in the second half, with a double to Alofiana Khan-Pereira, a try to Klese Haas, and a field goal to Kieran Foran.

Canberra kept their top eight hopes alive with a big win over South Sydney at GIO Stadium. Celebrating captain Elliot Whitehead’s 200th game (and welcoming back Jack Wighton – who accidentally went to Canberra’s dressing sheds after the warm-up), the Raiders finally responded in a milestone game: a Jordan Rapana double gave them a 24-8 half-time lead and an Ata Mariota try early in the second half sealed the game. Souths’ horrible night – which all but ended their faint finals hopes – was made worse by a season-ending Achilles injury to Alex Johnston.

The New Zealand Warriors – and Chanel Harris-Tavita – bounced back from their round 20 loss in Canberra, beating the Wests Tigers at Go Media Stadium (Auckland). Harris-Tavita missed the first two goals, but then kicked the next four as the Warriors led 14-0, survived a Tigers fightback (tries to Isaiah Papali’i and Charlie Staines), and then sealed the game with tries to Addin Fonua-Blake and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. The win keeps the Warriors in the finals race.

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Players Making Their NRL Debut

Dan Keir (Eels) vs Storm, July 26 (26 years, 4 months, 14 days)
Liam Ison (Sharks) vs Cowboys, July 27 (19 years, 7 months, 6 days)
Jayden Berrell (Sharks) vs Cowboys, July 27 (29 years, 1 month, 13 days)

Key Stats

• Jake Tago scored his first NRL try in his third career game.
• Harry Grant has now scored 7 tries against the Parramatta Eels.
• Nick Meaney passed 150 points for the 2024 NRL season.
• Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs won their first game against Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in 3,277 days (last win 18-16, 7/8/15).
• Connor Tracey scored his first NRL career hat-trick in the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ win over the Brisbane Broncos.
• North Queensland Cowboys won their first game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at QLD Country Bank Stadium, and first in Townsville since March 9, 2018 (won 20-14 at 1300 Smiles Stadium).
• Kyle Feldt scored his 5th career hat-trick and his first at QLD Country Bank Stadium.
• Sam Walker passed 500 NRL career points (23 tries, 203 goals, 6 1pt field goals).
• Clayton Faulalo scored his first NRL career try in his fourth career game, after being activated as the 18th man.
• Casey McLean scored his first NRL career try in his third appearance.
• Trent Toelau scored his first NRL career try in his sixth career appearance.
• Nathan Cleary scored his 5th NRL career hat-trick in the Penrith Panthers’ win over St George-Illawarra Dragons.

Upcoming Milestones

• 500 NRL points: Matt Burton (491 career points), Corey Oates (484).
• 1000 NRL points: Jamayne Isaako (985), Alex Johnston (780), Zac Lomax (781).
• 1500 NRL points: Nathan Cleary (1,487).
• 50 NRL tries: David Fifita (49 career tries), Kotoni Staggs (49), Luke Brooks (49), Luke Keary (48), Marcelo Montoya (47), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (47).
• 100 NRL tries: Tom Trbojevic (98), Maika Sivo (98), Cody Walker (98), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (96), Clint Gutherson (93).
• 150 NRL tries: Kyle Feldt (142), Josh Addo-Carr (135), James Tedesco (130).
• 200 NRL tries: Alex Johnston (193).